Plant local natives for a healthy Bay

Local native plants provide wildlife habitat, prevent soil erosion and filter excess nutrients out of streams that flow to the Bay; and they don’t need pampering with extra water and fertiliser! What’s not to like about ’em?

Probably the only downside is that they’re not stocked in most commercial nurseries. But there are half a dozen indigenous plant nurseries in the Melbourne sandbelt region, including. Carrum Indigenous Plant Nursery on the corner of Thompsons Rd and Learmonth Rd, Carrum. If you’re a newbie to natives, as well as plants Carrum Indig Nursery stock a great little book: “Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt – A Gardeners Guide’.

The book coves the natural history of the sandbelt, has colour pics, describes the growing conditions and form of local trees, shrubs and groundcovers, their habitat value for birds and insects, and Aboriginal cultural uses. You can also buy the book at Port Phillip EcoCentre.